FOR REFERENCE ONLY
by Daughter of Romanov
Summary: On permanent hiatus.
1. Preface

**Preface**

(Ariel POV)

"Price o' kelp is up again. All of de suppliers from de west are still recovering from de shipwreck last month on dere fields. Und de Arctic President is comin' down to Atlantica soon for de negotiations wit all de commotion 'bout the raids in dere waters. I tell ya, Ariel, it is as if dem raiders don't tink 'bout how it effects Atlantica!" Sebastian sighed. I groaned as my stomach made another, rather half-hearted now, attempt to throw my breakfast back up.

"I think Ariel would rather hear about her father and her sisters… stuff that's not political," Eric offered.

"If she wanted to hear dat, she'd ask for Andrina," Sebastian retorted. I rolled my eyes and smiled up at Eric, squeezing his hand. He lay beside me on our bed, his arm around my shoulder, listening to Sebastian's terribly boring stories. It had been three weeks since the wall had come down and for the last week, I hadn't even been able to go near the ocean. My stomach was not accepting any human food I offered it. Only the merfood brought to me contented it. And I, though our food was much better than the humans food was, won't eat merfood on land without a good reason. I'd been cooped up in my room, eating the food Daddy sent for me via various transport, from Sebastian bringing his own famous sea sponge swirls, to Scuttle bringing sea cucumber sandwiches 'the guppy fish you hung out with' told him to take, and Alana handing a coral blossom stew to a startled Grimsby.

Overall, it had been a most interesting week.

All of my ocean news came from either Sebastian or Melody. This was generally filled with Sebastian's politics or the random merfolk Melody encountered. I wished I could swim out to the ocean and talk to my sisters. I'd even talk to Morgana; I was so desperate for a new face. She was dead though. Apparently, Daddy and Sebastian had felt the need to check several times, which deeply offended Melody.

"Why does the Arctic have a President?" Eric asked as I closed my eyes again.

"Dey don't have royalty. Dere royal family was taken captive durin' the Great War. Never seen again," Sebastian sighed.

"The ocean has wars?" Eric sounded surprised.

"You tink de land is de only place who can put up a fight?" Sebastian sounded mad.

"No, no, of course not," Eric said quickly, desperate to make amends, "I just thought the ocean was more peaceful."

"De King is peaceful. He ended de war und saved de ocean. Dere has been no war since He has ruled," Sebastian said proudly. I looked at his beaming face and smiled. His loyalty to Daddy was almost religious.

"More food for the Queen has arrived," a boy stuttered at the doorway. I looked up at him. He reminded me of a puppy dog, with shaggy blonde hair and big chocolate brown eyes, only eight years old, at the most.

"Come on in," Eric nodded to him. He stumbled forward, his face turning red, and came to my side, almost knocking over Sebastian.

"Sorry… I'm so sorry," he stuttered, looking around helplessly.

"It's no problem. Really," Eric laughed. Sebastian was staring at the little boy in confusion.

"A dolphin brought you sea cucumber sandwiches," he said gently, putting them down.

"How do _you_ know what they are?" I asked. Dolphins couldn't talk.

"My grandfather… he used to be a merman… he taught me about these things… am I wrong? Did he teach me wrong?" he looked terrified, as if we were ogres or witches that were about to gobble him right up.

"No, you're right," I smiled. He sighed with relief.

"Where would you like me to put them?" he asked eagerly. I considered this. He _was_ a terribly clumsy.

"Just there will be fine," I pointed to the table beside me, "Who are you?"

"I'm Tanner Lockhart, your majesty," the little boy grinned shyly as he set down the food.

"Ahem?" Sebastian said, only taking his eyes of Tanner for a moment to look at me. I desperately wanted to ask Tanner question about his father, a merman turned human, but something about Sebastian's look told me he had something far more important to say.

"Thank you so much, Tanner," I smiled. He bowed his head and stumbled from the room, knocking into a chest of drawers before leaving. It was only a matter of seconds before I heard his voice gasp in surprise.

"Sorry, sorry!" Melody's voice apologized, and footsteps ran towards my door.

"Ariel," Sebastian hissed, "Tanner is-"

"Mom, Grandfather is outside!" Melody exclaimed, panting in my doorway.

"Tell him his great-nephew is here. If dat won't get him on land, no-tin' will," Sebastian said firmly. Melody looked surprised, shrugged, and ran off.

"Sebastian! Daddy will be _so_ cross!" I rolled my eyes.

"Why?" Sebastian asked slyly.

"He _hates_ lies!" I pulled a face at him.

"Would I ever lie to Him?" Sebastian raised his eyebrows. I gasped.

"Tanner?"


	2. War of the Ocean

**A/N: For anyone curious, the song is an extremely abridged version of **_**Quidam**_** from Cirque de Soleil. **

* * *

**1. The War of the Ocean**

(Triton {age 4} POV)

I don't like the war. I don't like it when the mailman brings letters to wives that make them cry. I really don't like it when people leave and don't come home. Daddy says the war was there when he was a little merboy too. Mama doesn't talk about the war very much. Mama only talks about those three little eggs she's waiting to hatch. My three little brothers or sisters or a mix. Purpled-tailed yellow-haired triplets.

"I'm home!" Daddy called. I jumped up from my game of checkers with Carmen and swam over to him. Carmen is my big sister, my pretty golden sister. She it was her sixth birthday last Tuesday. I wish I looked more like Carmen. Everyone likes Carmen because she's so pretty. I just have red hair everyone pulls and a blue tail that gets caught in rocks.

"Triton!" Daddy picked me up and spun me around.

"Triton, I told you that if you leave the game, I win," Carmen said angrily, swishing her tail so it almost knocked over Prince.

"Watch it, Carmen!" Prince sighed. Prince is ten. He's lots taller than I am and doesn't like Carmen half as much. Prince has the same colour hair as Carmen but my silly tail. He doesn't notice how pretty Carmen is, I guess. He calls her a brat, which Mama says he's not allowed to say anymore because it hurts Carmen's feelings. So he only calls her a brat when Mama's not around, then says she's a baby if she tells. If I can't look like Carmen, I'd at least like to look like Prince.

"Come on, Triton," Daddy laughed his deep booming laugh. I hope my voice sounds like Daddy's when I'm all grown up. He swung my around the little cavern. I almost hit Carmen _and_ Prince. They were far apart as they could be.

"Quidam, please," Mama pulled a face at Daddy.

"Let me see my Atlantica beauties together," Daddy laughed again and put me down on Mama's lap. I don't know what an Atlantica is, but Daddy makes it sound good. I asked Mama, and she said that she didn't want to talk about it, which sounded bad. I have the same hair and tail as Mama. But Mama's beautiful. Honest to goodness, Poseidon-blessed beautiful. She used to be a model, whatever that is. Prince has a model castle but I don't think that's the same thing.

"Don't tell the children about Atlantica, Quidam. You know I don't like it," Mama sighed again.

"Lighten up, Meredith," Daddy kissed her forehead and smiled, "they're just kids."

Mama pouted but didn't say anything. That happened a lot. Normally it just means Mama and Daddy will have a long quiet talk when they think we are all asleep.

"I've, ah, got some news," Daddy said, I think to all of us.

"Oh?" Mama said, like question even though it isn't really one. Prince and Carmen swam over to sit next to Mama and me.

"I've been enlisted into the Queen's army," Daddy said quietly.

"Oh, Quidam, no!" Mama exclaimed.

"Daddy, you can't fight wars, you're not a soldier," Carmen reminded him.

"Daddy, you aren't _really_ going to fight in the war, are you?" I asked.

"What about the triplets?" Mama pleaded.

"There is nothing I can do about it. I have to fight or swim," Daddy sighed.

"I'd rather you swim. We'll all swim away with you," Mama said quickly.

"What about my pride, Meredith? What about our lives, and the children's lives?" Daddy whispered.

"What if I lose you, Quidam?" Mama said quietly. I looked up and I saw a tear in her eye before it turned into seawater.

"I have to fight, Meredith. That's the end of the matter," Daddy said firmly, in his no-nonsense voice, the kind he used for no-sweets-after-dinner.

"Oh, Quidam," Mama leant forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. I was stuck between them, with a funny feeling in my throat and a tingling behind my eyes.

*~*~*~*~*Time passes *~*~*~*~*

"Are you ready to go, Quidam?" Mama asked quietly.

"Yes. I am," Daddy sighed and took her hand. Mama started to sing quietly to him, in her pretty bell voice.

"_The world is yours, not mine Quidam._

_Your dreams are yours._

_You may have touched the stars but they weren't moved._

_If you reach for me, I may not choose to hold your hand._

_I might smile or I might turn away._

Daddy laughed, and started to sing, _"An ordinary man, Quidam._

_I'm everyman._

_I'm any man._

_There's nothing left._

_There's nothing right._

_Three's nothing wrong._

_I'm one, I'm two._

_I'm all yet none of you._

_The truth, the lie, _

_The tear, the laughter, _

_The hand and the empty touch._

_Here I am alone_

_Waiting for the curtain call._"

Then they heard the dolphin call as the officials approached the village. By now, lots of people were outside, watching Daddy with sad eyes.

"Quidam Eau?" the man asked, to everyone. I didn't think that was a question, but he said it like one. Daddy raised his hand and looked at us with a sigh in his eyes.

"I'll be back before you know it," he promised, and hugged us all tightly in his big arms.

"Stay safe," Mama whispered.

"You too," Daddy replied. Then he let go of all of us.

"Good luck, Dad," Prince said quietly.

"Be careful, Daddy," Carmen said tearfully.

"I love you, Daddy," I said, looking at his bright eyes, now all clouded with sadness.

"I'll see you all soon," Daddy said, as he kissed Mama goodbye, "I love you all so very much. Don't forget that."

"We won't," Prince said, wiping his eyes. Daddy smiled and turned away, swimming over to the man. Mama picked me up and hugged me tightly. We waved to Daddy until we couldn't see him, and even a little after that. I closed my eyes tightly and wished silently as Mama carried me back inside.

"_Poseidon, I know I only ever talk to you when I'm in trouble but let's face it- I'm always in trouble. This time it's not about me. It's about Daddy. He's a grown-up, I know, but he's in real trouble. I know there are a lot of mermen at war you need to watch over, but if it's not too much trouble could you take extra-special care of Daddy? Please let him make it through this war and come home. He means so much to us. _


	3. Saving Mermaids

**A/N: I had to change the first chapter for an idea I had while writing this. Sorry, but hey, isn't the revised version way better? The song is a modified **_**Daughters of Triton**_** from the first Little Mermaid. **

~*~*~*~*~*~

**2. Saving Mermaids**

(Andrina POV)

"So, Aquata, are you nervous?" I asked, as the six of us swum together. Aquata was going to her last training session before the big fin ball grand final.

"Why would she be nervous about training? Are they mad at her?" Arista wondered. I rolled my eyes. Dear sweet slow Arista.

"I'm pumped. Totally pumped," Aquata smiled at me.

"With what?" Arista asked again.

"Arista, sweetheart, remember how we talked about _thinking_ before speaking?" Attina reminded her gently.

"The _cutest_ merboy is on the Arctic Eels! He's cuter than a baby dolphin! He's cuter than a seal cub! He's cuter than a baby dolphin cuddling a seal cub," Adella swooned.

"Way to support a sister, sis," Aquata pulled a face.

"I totally support the Atlantica Kelpies! But he's _so_ cute!" Adella added with a dreamy sigh.

"I have this new beauty cream that will make your skin _glow_," Alana offered.

"You think it'll make him notice me?" Adella squealed.

"Walking around with goo on your face always makes people notice you," I teased.

"Sebastian, I can't protect humans," Daddy sighed from inside his throne room.

"Hey, shush!" I hissed. We all crowded around the doorway, pushing to get the closest.

"I always say dat family comes first…" Sebastian offered pleadingly.

"Yes, my family under the sea. If they are not in the sea then I cannot protect them. My focus is, and always has and will be, the ocean," Daddy said firmly.

"Are Ariel and Melody in trouble with the humans?" Adella whispered.

"Oh my Poseidon!" Arista gasped.

"Simmer down, sister," Aquata rolled her eyes.

"Be quiet!" I hissed.

"Family is family, your majesty. Be it on de land or under da sea…" Sebastian tried.

"But the family I care for and protect is under the sea, Sebastian," Daddy said finally.

"Your majesty-" Sebastian started again.

"How do you know this, Sebastian?" Daddy demanded.

"I have seen wit my own eyes, your highness, your own flesh and blood," Sebastian pleaded, "If you would just look, you would see what I saw-"

"I'm sorry, Sebastian. I can't," Daddy cut him off firmly. I heard his tail swishing toward us, and we all stumbled backwards and fell over each other. Daddy emerged into the hallway with Sebastian, and looked at us with confusion.

"Girls…" he waited for an explanation.

"We were just coming to see you, Daddy," Attina said quickly, "we are going to watch Aquata practice, and we wanted to remind you that the big grand final is tomorrow!"

"But we tripped over Arista," Aquata added.

"Did not!" Arista exclaimed, "You pushed me!"

"Alright, girls," Daddy held up his hands to silence Arista and Aquata's fight with experience, "I'll be at your game, Aquata. I'm so proud of you for making first string."

"Thanks, Daddy," Aquata blushed.

"Come, Sebastian, we have _sea_ matters to attend to," Daddy said. Sebastian sighed and followed Daddy down the hall and away.

"We have to save Ariel and Melody from the humans!" Arista exclaimed.

"Not so loud! In here," Attina lead us into the throne room.

"We have to save Ariel and Melody from the humans!" Arista repeated, in a hushed tone.

"We need positive proof," Attina pleaded.

"How many mermaids are related to Daddy that went human?" I pulled a face.

"Well, what can _we_ do?" Alana said. I spotted a solution, or at least where the solution sat next to Daddy.

"Well, if we _borrowed_ Daddy's Trident, we could turn Ariel and Melody into mermaids, so Daddy will love them again," I suggested devilishly.

"Andrina!" Arista exclaimed, "Daddy will kill a crab if he finds out!"

"Well, little Ariel will be back, and so he'll be happy again," I shrugged.

"No! Absolutely not!" Attina exclaimed, "It's insane! It's morally wrong! It's-"

"Perfect," Aquata said simply, "the only option."

"Aquata!" Attina exclaimed.

"Please, Attina? It's the _only_ way," I pleaded.

"And it'll make Daddy _so_ happy," Alana added. We all make our best seal-cub faces.

"Fine," Attina sighed, "we'll go tonight."

*~*~*~*~* late that night *~*~*~*~*

"Shh!" Attina hissed, for what felt like the millionth time. We were sneaking down the corridor to Daddy's room, with random gifts for our little sister. The original plan was a few of us go and the others wait outside, but no one had wanted to be left out. So all six of us were in Daddy's wing of the castle, trying to be quiet.

"Ow!" Alana hissed.

"Shh!" Attina hissed back. One million and one… we were now just outside Daddy's room. I could hear his soft breaths, the ones I remembered from when I was a little girl who'd had a nightmare, and had demanded to stay in bed with Daddy and Mom for the night. I looked at my sisters and realized they were all remembering the same thing. How had they managed to have seven children?

"Come on," Attina whispered, and lead us into Daddy's room. He was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the robbery taking place.

"Hurry," Aquata prompted her, looking around nervously.

"Wot are you girls doin' here? It's da middle of da night!" Sebastian hissed from the darkness.

"Sebastian?" we said incredulously.

"Dat's right, girls. Wot are you doing here?" Sebastian demanded in a low voice. Daddy stirred in his sleep.

"Shh!" Attina hissed, almost reflexively, to Sebastian.

"Wot are you doing here?" Sebastian repeated in a angry whisper. Then he saw the random gifts we had collected for Ariel and his face softened.

"Oh! You were gonna surprise him, weren't you?" he looked at us lovingly now.

"Uh… yeah. We just know how hard it's been," I shrugged, trying to be casual.

"With Mom's anniversary coming up and all," Attina added. Sebastian nodded.

"I'll get out of your way," he said quickly, and swam from the room.

"Who else finds it a little creepy he sleeps in here?" Adella asked. We all raised our hands slowly. She nodded. Attina swam past us and picked up Daddy's Trident.

"We don't have much time until Sebastian gets back," she sighed. Alana started artfully decorating Daddy's bed with her freshly picked coral.

"We can at least distract him so he'll not notice," she replied, "it's late at night after all."

We all started decorating Daddy's room speedily, before swimming out the window, out of Atlantica, and up to Ariel's castle. Sitting around on a large rock, we looked up to the castle.

"_Oh, we are the daughters of Triton_," Attina started us.

"_Great father who loved us and named us well_," we all chimed in.

"_Aquata_," Aquata sung loudly.

"_Andrina_!" I sung louder.

"_Arista_!" Arista sang brightly.

"_Attina_," Attina sung, watching the balconies for Ariel.

"_Adella_!" Adella looked pointedly at Alana.

"_Alana_!" Alana finished.

"_And then there's our youngest with the humans on the shore,_

_Our seventh little sister we all cannot help but adore_

_To sing with us tonight in her little voice like a bell,_

_Our sister, Ariel!_" we finished. Ariel, on cue, was at the window.

"This time she's here," I muttered and Arista giggled.

"What are you doing here?" Ariel called.

"We've come to help you and Melody," Attina shouted back.

"So Daddy can love you again," Arista cried dramatically.

"But Melody and I are fine! Honest!" Ariel sounded confused.

"You can't be! Sebastian said so!" Aquata yelled. Attina lifted up the Trident, aiming carefully at Ariel.

"Why did Daddy give you the Trident?" Ariel was now sounded more amazed.

"It was more we took than he gave," even in the darkness I could _hear_ Alana's blush. Suddenly, golden light filled the sky as Attina turned Ariel back into a mermaid.

"Ta-da!" she declared proudly over Ariel's horrified scream.

(Triton POV)

_The cold sea breeze surrounded me with my new keeper. Magic spurred from within me, golden light, to a red-haired woman. I spun the golden light around her legs, making them a emerald green tail. _

My eyes flew open, and saw the Trident was missing.

"Sebastian!"


	4. Part of That World

**Part of That World**

(Prince {age 11} POV)

Mama's little eggs started to make cooing noises today. She says that means that they are about to hatch. I guess we should stop calling them Mama's eggs. They are our siblings after all. Triton started calling them Mama's little eggs, and it kind of stuck. Today, Triton was sitting at the door, playing dead. At least, that's what it looked like. Carmen and Mama were waiting with the eggs patiently for them to hatch. Me? I had to get out of there! To my little secret grotto.

"Mama? I'm going out for a little while," I said, trying to slip out the door.

"Of course, Prince," Mama said distractedly.

"Can I come?" Triton asked, looking excited. I hesitated. But the bright, oh-so-hopeful look on his face made me nod. Besides, I'd been planning to share it with him someday.

"Goody," Triton laughed, clapping his hands, and swimming with me out the door. It was a few minutes before Triton looked around and didn't recognise anything.

"Uh… Prince? Where are we going?" he asked sheepishly.

"You'll see. It's a surprise," I said encouragingly.

"A surprise? Oh, goody! I love surprises!" Triton chirped.

"Look at this," I pulled back the rock that hid my grotto from the merworld. We swam in together. His face instantly went from excitement to shock as he saw what it held.

"What is all this stuff, Prince?" he gasped.

"My collection," I shrugged.

"Of what?" he looked at it all.

"Human things," I grinned.

"You steal from the humans?" Triton looked even more shocked.

"No, not stealing! Not really. It's all from sunken ships. It wasn't really anybodies. They fascinate me," I blushed.

"Humans?" Triton looked shocked.

"Yes, humans. Don't they make you just a little curious?" I tried.

"I don't think about humans, Prince," Triton shrugged, "They don't do anything. You've seen them. They do the same things, all of them, day in day out. They're like clams."

I sighed. Trust the only thing he wasn't curious about to be the only thing I _was_ interested in! He would never understand how I thought they were just like us, but with legs.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe there is something the matter with me. I just don't see things the way you do. I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad," I shrugged, "_Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? _

_Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?_

_Wouldn't you think I'm the boy, the boy who has everything?_" I sang, swimming upward.

"_Look at this trove!_

_Treasures untold,_

_How many wonders can one cavern hold?_

_Looking around here, you think, sure_

_He's got everything_.

"_I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty_

_I've got who-zits and what-zits galore."_

Triton picked up a long thin silvery stick with three smaller sticks growing out of one end. He examined it closely as I swam to his side.

"_You want thingamabobs?_

_I got twenty!_

_But who cares?_

_No big deal,_

_I want more!_

"_I wanna be where the people are_," I sung-confessed to my wide-eyed little brother, "_I wanna see, wanna see them dancing!_

_Walking around on those- what do you call them?_

_Oh, feet!"_ I tickled the end of Triton tail as he giggled.

"_Flipping your fins you don't get too far_

_Legs are required for jumping, dancing!_" I spun Triton around, laughing, _"Walking along down a- what's that word again?_

_Street!_

_Up where they walk,_

_Up where they run_

_Up where they stay all day in the sun_

_Wandering free_

_Wish I could be_

_Part of that world!_

_What would I give if I could live out of these waters?_

_What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?_" I floated down to the sandy floor of the cavern, stretching out my tail. Triton swam down next to me, still curious as ever. I turned to him and sighed.

"_Bet cha on land, they understand_

_Bet they don't reprimand their children!_

_Bright young mermen_

_Sick of swimming_

_Ready to stand!_" I swam upward, Triton following me.

"_And ready to know what the people know!_

_Ask them my questions,_

_And get some answers!_" I pulled a book out from the shelf, flicking it to the page that confused me the most, showing Triton.

"_What's a fire? And why does it- what's the word?_

_Burn!_

_When's it _my_ turn?_

_Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world up above?_" I started to float down, Triton in my arms, "_Out of the sea,_

_Wish I could be,_

_Part of that world…_" my voice trailed off as I sat in a strange soft rocking thing called a thingamajig. Rocking back and forward with Triton curled up on my lap, I sighed, looking around at my collection.

"Someday, Triton. Someday, I'm gonna be a part of that world," I vowed. Triton looked worried, but didn't say a word.

**A/N: For anyone who has reccently had amnesia doesn't recognize it, the song is a slightly-modified _Part of That World _from the first Little Mermaid movie. **


	5. Tanner's Wish Granted

**Tanner's Wish Granted**

(Melody POV)

My room lit up with golden light. Blinking, I looked outside to the clear sky. Then, I heard Mom scream.

"Mom!" I exclaimed. Jumping out of bed, I rubbed my eyes as I stumbled over to the balcony and looked up to see her on her own balcony. Only she had a tail.

Well, that was different.

"Ariel, darling, calm down," Dad pleaded, knelling beside her.

"I am not calming down, Eric! Why am I a mermaid again? Why? Why? Why!" Mom screamed angrily. Suddenly, golden light flashed around her tail, and she was back to her human self again. She looked shocked to say the least!

"What? That's not right!" Aunt Attina yelled in frustration. I looked over my balcony to see all of my mer-aunts and my Grandfather's Trident. Huh. What a night this was turning out to be.

"Hit it against the rocks. That's what I do when my hair curlers don't work," Aunt Alana offered. Aunt Attina considered this.

"Why did you turn me into a mermaid? What is _wrong_ with you?" Mom screamed at her sisters; standing up shakily with Dad's help.

"Uh, I think Ariel's mad…" Aunt Arista hissed, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Come down here so we can talk!" Aunt Adella called up.

"When I get down there I'm going to kill you!" Mom screamed angrily.

"In that case, staying there is good too!" Aunt Andrina quickly called.

"Can I interject here?" Dad asked tiredly.

"Daddy said never to talk to humans," Aunt Arista said virtuously.

"What's wrong with this thing?" Aunt Attina demanded, shaking the Trident. It glowed, but no magic came forth.

"Why don't you just ask Grandfather?" I offered.

"He kind of doesn't known we have the Trident," Aunt Arista shrugged.

"Don't be so sure."

All of my aunts winced, and turned around to see Grandfather and Sebastian behind them.

"Whoops-a-sea-daisy!" Aunt Arista giggled nervously, "Hi, Daddy!"

"What are you doing here?" Grandfather asked flatly, "With _my_ Trident?"

"Um, you know, it's a funny story actually," Aunt Andrina offered helplessly, "you see, Daddy, we overheard you talking to Sebastian, saying that you weren't going to help Ariel and Melody because they were humans!"

"So we figured we'd just help it along!" Aunt Alana chirped, "Isn't that funny, Daddy?"

"I'm not laughing," Grandfather said, as his Trident glowed bright white.

"We weren't talking about Ariel and Melody, girls," Grandfather closed his eyes and sighed.

"Who were you talking about?" Aunt Adella asked.

"You tink you can steal de Trident, und den demanded answers?" Sebastian exclaimed. Grandfather looked at him and nodded. Attina blushed, and handed the Trident to Grandfather sheepishly.

"Eric, Ariel, we heard screaming," Carlotta said, followed by a collection of servants.

"It's nothing, really. Everyone please go back to bed," Dad touched his forehead, "I think I'm getting another one of my headaches…"

The servants shrugged and whispered to each other as they left. Only the little boy I had run into earlier that day remained, looking curiously at the merfolk.

"My Poseidon," Grandfather's anger vanished from his face, replaced with shock.

"I ain't gonna say I told ya so…" Sebastian said slowly.

"Then don't," Grandfather replied, not taking his eyes off the little boy.

"I knew dat if you saw him, you'd remember," Sebastian said contentedly.

"Saw _him_? Who?" Aunt Adella demanded, looking around. Grandfather did not answer, as Sebastian quickly whispered something in his ear.

"Tanner, come here," Dad said. The little boy, Tanner I guess, walked over, knocking over a chair, and clumsily picking it back up before making it to the balcony.

"Who's that?" Aunt Andrina asked curiously.

"I'm Tanner, Tanner Lockhart," he said shyly.

"Your family came from the sea, didn't they?" Grandfather said. I gasped and looked up to the clumsy boy.

"My grandfather. He says it was a long time ago," Tanner looked around anxiously, as if someone was going to come and speak for him.

"It was," Grandfather agreed.

"You knew Tanner's grandfather?" Mom exclaimed.

"A long time ago. At least, I thought I did," Grandfather corrected himself.

"You knew my grandfather? When he was a merman?" Tanner gasped.

"Daddy, are you sure?" Aunt Attina looked shocked.

"O' course he's sure!" Sebastian exclaimed.

"I wish I was a merman," Tanner said enviously.

"Tanner!" Mom exclaimed.

"Tanner, I don't blame you for wanting to join us merfolk," Grandfather smiled, "and because you're my nephew, I'm giving you a choice. You can come and live in Atlantica with me and my daughters or remain here on land."

'_Nephew_?" my aunts whispered together, looking at each other in shock.

"Your Highness, may I offer my opinion?" Dad pleaded.

"No," Grandfather said shortly. Dad sighed.

"I want to come and live in Atlantica," Tanner said quickly. Grandfather smiled.

"Tanner, what about your family?" Mom asked in surprise.

"Ariel, sweetie, you really can't talk," Aunt Andrina pulled a face at her, "You kind of ditched _your_ family, remember?"

Tanner stepped forward, looking over the balcony. Grandfather raised his Trident, and the golden magic came forward, wrapping around the little boy and lifting him up into the sky. He splashed down into the water, with a new shimmering golden tail.

"Oh my Lord!" Tanner exclaimed, "I've got a tail! I've got a tail!"

I looked up to my parents on their balcony. They were smiling down at Tanner.

"We should probably be going or we'll sleep in tomorrow and be late for work," Aunt Attina said, sliding off the rock. My other aunts followed her.

"Come on, Tanner," Grandfather said. Tanner nodded.

"_Au revoir__, _Tanner," Louis called.

"Goodbye! Goodbye, Grandpa!" Tanner called.


	6. The Triplets and the Prophecy

**The Triplets and the Prophecy**

(Meredith POV)

Get up, get up, sleepyfins!" Triton exclaimed, pulling Carmen's tail with all of his might. This wasn't a lot, but still.

"Triton! It's night-time!" Carmen pushed him away, and put her head under her pillow. My sweet Carmen, six going on sixteen. Triton was unfazed, and jumped on her.

"The triplets… are hatching… right now!" he shouted between jumps.

"What? Why didn't you say?" Carmen squealed.

"I just did!" Triton rolled his eyes. Carmen grabbed his hair and swum over to their little singing siblings and me.

"Triton, they aren't hatching!" Carmen exclaimed, letting go of his red curl and glaring at him. He rubbed his head and shrugged.

"They haven't hatched yet, stupid," Prince rolled his eyes.

"Their singing is almost like our voices. That means it's almost time," I told them gently. We were all gathered around the shell bassinet, waiting. I looked up to the roof and prayed Quidam would someday see our little ones.

"That one is horrible at singing," Carmen wrinkled her nose, pointing at the second smallest one.

"Kind of like a dying seagull," Prince laughed.

"Well, not everyone can be vocally blessed," I rolled my eyes at him. The biggest egg suddenly started to shake. Cracks began to appear in it's smooth surface as the infant struggled to be born.

"Hurry up, I want a sister already!" Carmen shrieked.

"No! A boy! A boy!" Prince yelled, not to be outdone by his little sister. The two looked at Triton expectantly to cast the deciding vote. He looked at me helplessly, then to the egg.

"What do you think?" he asked softly. The egg continued to crack until a little mermaid poked her head out, not singing anymore but screaming.

"Uh!" Triton covered his ears and pulled a face as the little mermaid forced her way from the egg.

"Hello, my little Ursula Selene," I picked up the little mermaid, the telltale upward half moon between her eyes still bright. In the coming months, that would fade away. Looking into her soft blue eyes, I hardly noticed the second biggest egg cracking.

"Mama, pay attention! Your baby is hatching!" Carmen snapped. I looked away from Ursula to see a second little mermaid wailing. Still off tune, mind you. I sighed, setting Ursula back into the crib as she sung in her melodic voice, in favour of her tone-deaf sister.

"Settle down, Morgana Lune," I whispered. She only wailed pitifully.

"Oh, Morgana! Please settle down like Ursula!" I pleaded. That seemed to pacify her. I would have to remember to continue doing that. All eyes were on the smallest egg to hatch and reveal itself. But there was nothing, not even an assuring melody that the egg would hatch soon. I looked at my older children, blinking back tears. Prince seemed to understand, his eyes locked with mine as tears filled his eyes. Carmen was too busy playing with the triplets- twins- downy hair to notice the third egg anymore. And Triton, my dear sweet Triton, looked as though he was silently willing the egg to hatch. Perhaps he remembered not so long ago, when he had had such difficulty hatching. But this was different. He had sung.

"Mama… the baby isn't coming, is it?" Prince whispered with his voice filled with pain.

"It's right there, Prince," Carmen said, looking at her brother's pained face with surprise.

"Mama, what's he talking about?" Triton's big blue eyes were filled with fear.

"Sometimes, babies aren't meant to hatch. Sometimes, Poseidon decides to bring them to be foam on the ocean with him instead of living here with us," I said gently, brushing away my tears into the water.

"Why?" Carmen whispered.

"She wasn't meant to be born, darling. She was too sick and far too little," I answered as best I could, "Tomorrow morning, we will bury her body in the sand so she can live between the foam and the ocean bed. That way she can be with us in spirit even though she couldn't live with us."

"She?" Prince echoed, I nodded, looking at my two babies and their dead sister in the bassinet.

"How do you know, Mama?" Triton whispered.

"I had a feeling they were three little girls," I replied, kissing his forehead, "Ursula Selene, Morgana Lune, and Attina Artemis. My moonchildren."

"Attina," Triton echoed.

"Yes, baby. Attina," I agreed, "It's time to go back to bed now. You can play with the tri-twins in the morning."

Prince winced to hear me call Ursula and Morgana twins instead of triplets. Carmen curled up in her bed with her loyal bedtime toy, Mr. Goldfishie. Only Triton remained by the bassinet, looking at little Attina.

"_How do you love a person who never got to be?_

_Or try again to see a face you never got to see? _

_How do you mourn the death of one who never got to live?_

_When there's nothing to feel good about and nothing to forgive? _

_I love you, little sister; you're a person of the wind._

_Free to be the memory of all that might have been. _

_I love you, little sister, my companion of the night. _

_Wandering through my lonely hours beautiful and bright. _

_What does it mean to die before you ever can be born? _

_To live the lovely night of life and never see the dawn? _

_Ah! My little sister, you lived like anyone!_

_Life's a burst of joy and pain, and then, like yours, it's done. _

_I love you, little sister, just as if you'd lived for years._

_No more, no less, I think of you, the angel of my tears,_" he whispered, almost reciting the words. Words he'd never heard before. He turned from the bassinet and swam over to me, curling up in my arms, his bright blue eyes wide with compassion as he stroked my cheek lovingly.

"Will you sing for me tonight?" Triton pleaded. I kissed his forehead and smiled, rocking him gently in my arms.

"_Hush-a-bye, my little child_

_Hush-a-bye, though winds blow wild_

_While the storms rage o'er the sea_

_You shall sleep in serenity_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whistle a lullaby_

_Hush-a-bye-, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whistle a lullaby_

_Children of fisherfolk by the shore_

_Winds shall sing to you evermore_

_Winter gale or summer breeze_

_Fill your dreams with their melodies_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whisper a lullaby_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whisper a lullaby."_

Across the room, Prince had drifted into a restless sleep, as Carmen lay dead still with Mr. Goldfishie in a deadly hug. In the bassinet, Ursula and Morgana slept their first sleep as mermaids instead of little eggs. I looked down to see Triton sleeping peacefully in my arms. There could never be a prophecy so dark for my precious baby boy. The Prophetess Sybil had told us the last son would bear the prophecy. And I had wanted one of those to be the prophecy so badly, pleading all my instincts to be wrong! A cruel little boy, with a hard heart I would never love in a million years. Not my Triton, my special baby boy, with a heart bigger than the ocean and that darned temper to match. Just like his father, and grandfather before him. I had wondered if Triton's son would bear the infamous Eau temper. Of course, he wouldn't have any sons, daughters, or children at all. If anything, the Prophetess was clear about that. He wouldn't live long enough. He couldn't.

My son would never be a killer.

**AN: Triton's poem is **_**To a Stillborn Sister**_** by Andrea Gabrielli. Meredith's song is **_**Lullaby of the Sea**_** by David Lundie. **


	7. Who Is Really In Trouble Here?

**Who is **_**Really **_**In Trouble Here?**

(Attina POV)

"I'd like to speak to Attina. Alone," Daddy glowered at my sisters. We were assembled in the throne room, as Daddy scolded us like we were children. For what must have been an hour by now. And he hadn't even started talking about a punishment. This was almost as bad as when Ariel ran away…

"Of course, Daddy," Alana agreed quickly.

"It was nice knowing you, sis," Andrina whispered cheekily. I glared at her. This whole this was her fault and I was getting the blame!

"I'll be speaking to the rest of you tomorrow," Daddy said decisively. My sisters nodded quickly and swam as fast as they could from the room.

"Before you say anything, Daddy," I began. He held up his hands to silence me. I bit my lip, trying to figure out what he was going to say.

"You should know better than this, Attina. Whatever is the matter with you? Your mother always said you were the responsible one, the honest one. Who's idea was this?" Daddy asked, in the gentle voice he used to get the truth from us.

"Andrina," I said before I could stop myself. I cringed, silently admonishing myself for giving in so easily. Aquata could hold up for several hours… I was the weakest of all of us, and Daddy knew it well. Foolproof.

"Why, _why_, why would you listen to a plan from Andrina?" Daddy closed his eyes, as the rage I had hoped had dissolved began to reappear on his face. I was trying to think of an appropriate response, when something caught my eye. A shadow in the corridor, something I knew I'd seen before. Something that made me shiver with fear.

"Daddy, what's that?" I whispered. He followed my gaze.

"Just a shadow," Daddy said quickly, "You may go now, Attina."

"But Daddy-" I protested.

"Go, Attina," Daddy commanded. I sighed, and swam out of the room, more confused than I had ever been in my whole life. Daddy wouldn't give up on a punishment that easily. Daddy had a horrible temper. The shadow was something he didn't want me to know about.

"So?" demanded a deep sinister voice that sent shivers down my spine. I had never heard anyone talk to Daddy like that before! I hid up next to the wall, listening to the conversation.

"Keep away from my daughters. They've got nothing to do with this," Daddy replied sharply. Nothing to do with what? What was Daddy hiding from us? Who was that shadow and the voice? And why was I so sure I'd seen the shadow before, lurking in another doorway a long time ago?

"Which one was that? Attina?" the voice continued as if Daddy had said nothing. I bit my lip. How did he know my name?

"Never you mind who that was," Daddy retorted, his voice raising. I sighed with silent relief. Somehow, the idea of the sinister voice knowing who I was terrified me.

"Touching today, aren't we?" the voice chided. How dare it speak to Daddy like that! My gut told me that he must be powerful, powerful enough to threaten Daddy and get away with it.

"The boy is here. That Tanner something. Now leave Ariel alone," Daddy commanded. I gasped with silent shock. Tanner? Was that why Daddy let him come to Atlantica so quickly? To… appease this… thing and protect Ariel? Oh, Daddy!

"Ariel? I don't know what you're talking about," the voice replied with mock confusion.

"You know perfectly well who I'm talking about," Daddy snapped, "and if you'd like to remain alive, keep away from my daughters."

I sighed with relief. Daddy was going to protect us. He wouldn't let us be harmed by whatever the voice was.

"No need to threaten me," the voice replied silkily, "it isn't time for the boy yet. I will not need him until the moon is full. Did you forget?"

"The opportunity presented itself," Daddy said stiffly, "What am I supposed to _do_ with him?"

"Keep him occupied. You have always wanted a son, haven't you? There must be no other reasons for having that many daughters," the voice laughed coldly. I shivered at his laugh. It chilled me to my very bones.

"Fine. The full moon is only two weeks away. Until then, keep away from here, and from Ariel and her family. Is that clear?" Daddy demanded. I pleaded silently to Poseidon that the voice would keep away forever, not just for two weeks. Daddy couldn't possibly let that horrible thing take away that little boy! He had been so sweet the whole swim back to the castle, staring wide-eyed at all of the beauty in Atlantica.

"You're not in a position to make demands at the moment. I do not know why you chose to have so many weaknesses. That crab, those six daughters," the voice said disapprovingly. I bit my lip. Why did the voice have such power over Daddy? What did it have to do with Sebastian and us?

"Seven. Seven daughters," Daddy said quietly, almost pained. My heart ached for him, remembering all the times I'd been asked how it felt to grow up with five sisters after Ariel was gone. There were seven of us. _Seven_.

"If we're counting the _pointless_ weaknesses, it would be an endless list," the voice said crisply, "So many lost causes…"

"She's not a lost cause," Daddy growled.

"I know, I know, 'she's a merperson, just like us'," the voice said sarcastically.

"Not like you. Maybe like you _were_, but certainly not anymore. I barely recognize you," Daddy said quietly.

"This is no time for your sentiment. You are a weak leader. So will be those daughters, heirs since you failed to give Atlantica a firstborn prince like everyone else. The kingdom would probably not even miss your seven little mermaids…" the voice sneered. I shuddered. That was enough. I could not take anymore! I swam as fast as I could away from Daddy and the shadow. Poor Tanner… my own cousin…I suddenly bumped into something. I looked up, panicked. But it was just my sisters.

"We're in _that_ much trouble?" Alana asked, seeing my face.

"Like 'under Sebastian's constant scolding watch' trouble or 'start digging your grave' trouble?" Andrina tried.

"I think Daddy's in more trouble than us," I whispered, "You'll never believe what I heard…"


	8. The Last Night Under the Seven Seas

**The Last Night Under the Seven Seas**

(Quidam POV)

I curled up on the floor, my arms in chains and aching. It was bitterly cold here. I heard voices yelling just outside the door, but I could not bear to hear the words.

How had I gotten here?

Only a few weeks ago I had been a lowly town doctor. I had tried my best to be a good father to my three children. I had tried to deserve to be married to a beautiful woman. Amphitrite. My beautiful Amphitrite.

But this started so long before then! I had been a Prince, a King for a while! What had I done wrong to ruin it all? King Poseidon, lord of the entire ocean. And my beautiful Queen Amphitrite had ruled beside me, as our three children were born. Ruled a kingdom so wonderful, only to have it snatched away. With the slash of swords and beatings of drums, my beautiful wife, Prince, Carmen, barely hatched Triton, and I were captured. For twenty days and twenty nights, we were taken to the seventh sea, the blood waters, as it was called. And left for dead among the skeletons. I had sworn to protect my family. And protect them I had! I had taken my family through the ancient underground system to another ocean, far from the war, closer to the humans. We had changed our names, created a new life and history. I had thought they would be safe there. But the war just grew until it got to close. So I went to war. I had to keep it from my family. I had to protect them. If only I hadn't been so focused on protecting them, I would have protected me. Then I wouldn't _be_ here in the first place. I listened to every little prayer my Triton, my favourite child, sent me, beseeching me to protect me. If only he knew his father _was_ Poseidon. Then he'd know I could do so little to protect myself, even with all the magic that flowed through my veins. Especially here.

But where was I?

I still wasn't sure. One moment I had been in battle, the next chained in an icy cell. I could only pray I was just a prisoner of war. No one knew my secret magical heritage. I sighed, as the bickering outside became louder.

"It has been to long already! It needs to be now!" the man insisted.

"Keep your voice down," the older man snapped. What could they possibly mean? I sighed, picturing Amphitrite, now Meredith, and my three beautiful children. Had those little triplets been born yet? Suddenly, the door swung open. I blinked in the blinking light from my dark freezing prison.

"Good morning, Poseidon," the older voice said as cold as the water around me. I feigned confusion, same as I always did after someone commented on how much I looked like the late King.

"W-w-what are you t-talking about?" I stuttered, shivering.

"Oh, Poseidon. Did you think removing your silly accessories would change who you are?" the voice snorted. I blinked as the light dimmed, and I saw who was there. The younger merman I did not recognize, but the older merman's face had haunted me for years.

"Please… no…" I pleaded, paralysed with fear.

"Pity pleading won't do you anything," he taunted, his black eye flashing with glee, "Tell me, where are the others?"

"Dead, they're dead," I lied.

"Lies!" he screamed, striking my face, "Where are they?"

"Dead!" I lied again, crying out with pain as he struck me again.

"They're not dead! Where are you hiding them?" he demanded. I shook my head, turning away from him.

"Where are they, you scum of royal blood?" the old merman picked me up and shook me hard, his face inches from my own.

"Dead!" I screamed in his face. He threw me across the room like a ragdoll, slamming into the icy wall. I felt the magic fade from my veins, taking me with it, as I drifted up and away. I looked down at my broken body, blood filling up the water. The older merman approached me, shaking me. I laughed as my heart ached with the pain of my losses. So much pain… and I could not stop laughing. Was this what it was to be driven mad? For now, I knew I had lost all sanity, just as I had lost my life there in my icy prison, taunted and tortured to death.

"What do I say, master?" the younger merman whimpered. He was as frightened as I had been.

"Say he was strangled by the ocean," the older merman spat. Then, I was gone, into the waves. I looked over my shoulder, to see a fair-haired, violet-tailed mermaid drifting beside me. I knew in my soul that she was mine. My own daughter, who had left her family too. However, she had not known them as I had, but she had still loved them, as her little unborn self. And I would teach her of them. I took the little baby in my arms, and cradled her.

"Attina," I whispered. She looked up at me, soft grey eyes curious. She had never hatched. I knew it. She was too small, did not speak or swim, and the little upturned crescent moon was deeper than I had ever seen it on a born baby. She hummed a little lullaby for me in her sweet voice. I drifted aimlessly for a while, staring at my little daughter, whose destiny was to accompany me in my after-life, not noticing where I was until I heard her.

"_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whisper a lullaby_

_Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye_

_Sea winds whisper a lullaby."_

Meredith. My Amphitrite. For I was now Poseidon, in my truest natural form. Midnight blue not just my shimmering tail, but from head to tail. I was a God. This was my family that I had to leave behind. I placed Attina in the bassinet with her sleeping sisters, and sat on shell that I had once shared with her. She tucked in our three little children so patiently, as they kissed her goodnight.

"Mama, I feel funny," Triton murmured.

"Me too," Carmen agreed softly.

"Me three," Prince agreed.

"I know, darlings. It is just one of those nights," she assured them. Little did she know it was because of me. My magic seeped from me and charged the water with my presence. She lay down unknowingly next to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, and she turned to face me.

"Oh, Poseidon, how much I miss you," she whispered, "Come home soon. We need you."

My heart ached for her. If only she knew, I was there! But I would never be there the way they needed me to be. I softly sang to her.

"_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music is playing on for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

_A life goes by_

_Romantic dreams will stop_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know_

_All that I wanted to hold you_

_So close_

_So close to reaching that famous happy ending_

_Almost believing this was not pretend_

_And now you're beside me_

_And look how far we've come! _

_So far, we are so close_

_How could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close_

_To reaching that famous happy ending_

_And almost believing this was not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming for we know we are_

_So close, so close_

_And still so far._"

I kissed her forehead and wrapped my arms around her. Attina called for me, and I closed my eyes. Magic, stronger than I had ever known it to be, surged through the water and carried my daughter to me and her living mother.

_Poseidon?_ The ocean whispered around me, hissing into my ear.

"Yes?" I replied, closing my eyes.

_It's time. You must leave them now._

"I can't leave them…" I murmured, my heart aching.

_You have to leave them. It is time to serve your destiny. _

"Will I ever see them again?"

_Of course, and your daughter will come with you. _

"Then I will go," I agreed. Cradling Attina close to my heart, I kissed my family goodbye, and left to the eighth sea where our destiny would begin.

**AN: Quidam sings **_**So Close**_** by John McLaughlin and once again, Meredith sings **_**Lullaby of the Sea**_** by David Lundie.**


	9. The Eighth Sea Claims More Victims

**The Eighth Sea Claims More Victims**

(Aquata POV)

Though it was already midnight, we six sisters were yet to return to our rooms. We stood together in the hallway adjoining to the one outside of Daddy's throne room, in silence after the story Attina had told us. We all drifted through the hallway in silent thought, worried about what the shadow might mean.

The thing about living in a castle as big as ours is that you can always find new places. For instance, this hallway. I couldn't remember ever coming down this hallway before. It was lined with old fading paintings, which was odd because the gallery was on the other side of the palace and everything else in the palace was well-maintained. For a moment, we were all distracted from our troubles by the unfamiliar environment.

"Look, Aquata, it's you!" Arista exclaimed. I looked up at a fading portrait, and came face to face with myself. Yet, she wasn't me at all. Her hair was done up in rag curls, a large golden tiara was upon her head, she was dressed in elegant clothes with strings of pearls, and she smiled prettily down at us from the painting, no older than eighteen, much younger than me. Besides, the engraved gold label below the painting informed me that this girl's name was Princess Amphitrite of Atlantica not Princess Aquata of Atlantica and the date on the plaque meant that she would have to be even older than Daddy! I looked at her closer, trying to find some kind of flaw to prove she wasn't really me… the floppy fringe that framed her face was much redder than my hair, more like Daddy's had been when he was young. But the resemblance was there, undeniably, which made me smile a little. There was just something so… _beautiful_ about her, so confident and radiant that even after all these years, looking out from a neglected portrait, she was still breathtaking. But who was she? Why had I never heard of her before?

"Here she is again," Attina gently informed me. I turned and swam over to her, a portrait in a golden frame, faded and neglected like the other. It was so odd that these portraits were not maintained like the ones in the main gallery. I looked up at Princess Amphitrite again, now holding a small baby boy with a bright blue tail and mess of dark red curls that he peered out from under sleepily.

"Look here," Adella pointed to the golden label below the portrait. The engraved words chilled me to my very core.

_The Execution Portrait_

_King Poseidon, Queen Amphitrite, Crown Prince Oceanus, Princess Crustacia, and Prince Neptune. _

_The Last Arctic Royal Family_

The date told me that Amphitrite had died decades ago, around the time that Daddy was born. I touched her cheek gently, looking up at her eyes as blue as the sea and her wistful smile. Had she known? Had she known what was coming, the execution? Holding her infant son, that little Prince Neptune, beside her husband, toddler daughter and oldest son who looked to be no older than six, had she known that they would all die, before any of them had a chance to grow old? Was she scared? Had she cried and begged to be saved, begged for her children's lives to be spared? Had she looked up at her husband one last time and wondered why they couldn't grow old together? But they had died together, at least. Had he held her in his arms, kissed her one last time, told her that he loved her? As I looked at the two of them, a lump rose in my throat and I bit my lip to stop a sob from escaping. Why had anyone wanted to kill this beautiful young family?

"We ought to go…" Attina said firmly, "to bed. We all will be very busy tomorrow."

"But what about Daddy and the shadow?" Andrina asked with a yawn.

"We can worry about it tomorrow," Attina replied sternly. We all tiredly accepted her orders and retreated to our rooms. It had been so strange at first, being in separate rooms, especially after we had all gotten so close after Ariel left. Alana, the only one of us to get engaged so far, probably preferred the company of her fiancée, Academicus, over us girls anyway. We had all been shocked that shy, quiet Academicus had been the first man to brave King Triton and ask for one of his daughter's hands in marriage, but he had done it, and successfully! Our oldest sister, Attina, had barely indulged in dating, preferring to concentrate on government matters and her favourite charity project, a small budding school in one of the poorest regions of Atlantica. Boy-crazy Adella had dated many boys on and off again, and had just ended her four-year-long relationship with Stevie dramatically, with so much screaming Daddy almost called for security. Now she was determined to find someone to make him insanely jealous if it killed her. Arista, dear sweet slow Arista, was dating calm, dependable Duke Leomaris. He was a giant, huge muscular merman who made her look like a tiny doll next to him. He seemed to be pleasantly amused by her crazy antics, doing his best to talk her out of the wilder ones but going along with most of them for fun. And Andrina broke up with Paio every other week, claiming she was done with mermen altogether and hated the entire gender, before making up with him and promising to spend forever together until their next fight. Though the claimed the relationship was nothing, it was clear to everyone else they weren't going to leave each other for real.

And me? Well, I'm so busy with my sport and spending time with my friends and sisters… but well, there was this one boy, Seth. He didn't have any titles or even any money to his name for that matter, but he was special. He was a fin ball player on the Paficio Sharks, who had come to Atlantica for a couple of days to play against our team every year. There was just something in the way he had cheekily winked at me when the game ended. That was almost seven years ago, when he scored that final goal and won the match. He stayed in Atlantica for a couple of days after the match, and I guess I fell in love him. Well, I know I fell in love him, that I still loved him with every fibre of my being. I just try not to think about it. We sent messages to each other whenever we could, I would spend days waiting eagerly for his messages to come across the ocean to me. We could just talk and talk and never get bored of each other. I knew everything about him, how his mother was so sick, and his father had left before he hatched, and he worked two jobs in addition to playing for the Sharks to buy medicine for his mother, because Seth didn't believe in handouts. I knew that he hated coral blossom stew; he had a toy dolphin as a child named BeeBee, and that he had a birthmark the shape of a seashell behind his left ear. We talked about my father, my sisters, how Ariel had left us, how scared I was when she was gone, and how my mother had died, how much I hated growing up without music, our hopes, dreams, everything. Every year, we promised each other we were going to spend more time together. But we were both just too busy to move oceans to be together. It would only be one more year, every year. His messages are all sitting in a little box under my bed. I can't deal with it. I just can't think about Seth. He stopped sending me messages about a year ago, a couple of months after he left to go home from playing in Atlantica. It took so long for me to accept that Seth wasn't mine anymore.

Seth belonged to the Eight Sea.

The owner of the kelp farm Seth worked at during the summer had made a contract with a Sea Witch and not followed through. She came to the farm destroyed everything and everyone. Black magic. No survivors. I didn't hear the news until a couple of months later, and honest to Poseidon, it broke me apart inside. Never again would I touch his dark skin, stroke his soft black hair, feel his bright red tail brush mine. He'd never kiss my neck again, tuck my hair behind my ear, and smile his little cheeky smile. Never would his deep husky voice whisper in my ear, teasing me and talking so softly about our plans for the future together. A summer wedding with flowers everywhere. Two daughters, named Athena and Lorelie. All that was gone now. He was just… gone. Vanished. How was I supposed to go on without him? I could put on a brave face all I liked; pretend like everything was fine, but what about _inside_, where I'm tearing apart and dying every second I'm away from him. How am _I_ supposed to survive this? I curled up on my bed, and pulled the picture of him out from under my pillow.

"I love you, Seth," I whispered, "Don't you see how much I need you right now?

_A hundred days have made me older,_

_Since the last time that I saw your pretty face,_

_A thousand lies have made me colder,_

_And I don't think I can look at this the same,_

_But all the miles that separate,_

_Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face,_

_I'm here without you, baby,_

_But you're still on my lonely mind,_

_I think about you, baby,_

_And I dream about you all the time,_

_I'm here without you, baby,_

_But you're still with me in my dreams,_

_And tonight it's only you and me. _

_The miles just keep rolling,_

_As the people leave their way to say hello,_

_I've heard this life is overrated,_

_But I hope that it gets better as we go,_

_I'm here without you, baby,_

_But you're still on my lonely mind,_

_I think about you, baby,_

_And I dream about you all the time,_

_I'm here without you, baby,_

_But you're still with me in my dreams,_

_And tonight it's only you and me._

_Everything I know and anywhere I go,_

_It gets hard but it won't take away my love._

_And when the last one falls, when it's all said and done,_

_It gets hard but it won't take away my love!_

_I'm here without you, baby,_

_But you're still on my lonely mind,_

_I think about you, baby,_

_And I dream about you all the time,_

_I'm here without you, baby,_

_But you're still with me in my dreams,_

_And tonight it's only you and me. _

**A/N: The song that Aquata sings is **_**Here Without You Baby**_** by 3 Doors Down. **


	10. A Tragedy To Call My Own

**A Tragedy To Call My Own**

(Carmen {age 6} POV)

"Carm-a-dee, look at that!" Triton called, using his special nickname for me. Triton and I were best friends. He was much nicer than Prince was.

"What is it?" I asked, looking up from the little school of fish I had been watching.

"A human-thingy!" Triton declared. Both Prince and I looked at it.

"It's called a ship," Prince corrected Triton. Those things, ships, were still very new. Most of them sunk, leaving the humans to swim back to shore. Daddy had said they sunk because humans were not _meant_ to be on the ocean. It was ours after all!

"You think it'll make it to land?" I asked absentmindedly, playing with Triton's hair. He looked up at me and shrugged.

"Let's see it," Prince declared. Triton and I looked up at him in confusion.

"We're looking at it right now, dummy," I pulled a face at him.

"Up close. Let's swim up real close to it and see what its doing!" Prince said excitedly.

"Prince! That's too dangerous!" I squealed, "Mama says we're not allowed to go near the humans without her!"

"Keep your voice down. If you're such a guppy, Triton and I will go without you," Prince stuck his tongue out at me.

"I'm not a guppy! I'll prove it!" I exclaimed, swimming over to the ship as fast as I could.

"Carmen! Slow down!" Prince sounded worried.

"Who's the guppy now, Prince?" I taunted, splashing him, "You are, you slowpoke hatchling!"

"We'll see about that!" Prince roared, swimming fast enough. He was on my tail. I swam faster, not even seeing where I was going.

"Carmen, Prince! Wait for me!" Triton wailed, swimming further and further behind. We stopped guiltily. He was only four after all.

"Sorry," I apologized.

"Sorry," Prince agreed. Triton just nodded, trying to catch his breath.

"You should be, Prince. You _told_ Mama you'd take care of us," I poked my tongue out at him. Prince poked his tongue back at me.

"The… the… the…" Triton panted. Prince sighed, and pushed Triton underwater so he could breathe better.

"What is it, Tri?" he asked.

"The ship is right behind you!" he shrieked. We spun around. We were in the shadow of a giant! Prince pushed us aside.

"Whoa," I gasped, looking at the monster.

"It's not alive, sis," Prince said, reading my face.

"Doesn't mean I can't be totally terrified of it," I retorted.

"Let's go see the humans," Prince swum up. We looked up at the ship. It was empty. Huh.

"_Heave-ho, heave-ho_

_I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue_

_And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho_

_Brave sailor beware, for a big 'un's a- brewing_

_Mysterious fathoms below,_' a young boy sang quietly. Prince swam over to the voice.

"Prince, be careful!" I hissed. A dark haired boy poked his head over the side of the ship.

"Mermaids!" he gasped. Triton and I gasped, and dove under the water.

"I'm a mer_man_," Prince corrected, still up there. I pulled his tail. He looked down and made a face at me.

"Come up, you big old guppy," he called, "he's just a kid like us!"

"I won't hurt you, honest!" the boy pleaded. Not to be outdone by Prince, I poked up head up from the water, as Triton cowered behind me. The human boy gasped at me.

"What are you looking at, squid-lips?" I pulled a face at him.

"You're not like the mermaid in songs, are you?" the boy giggled, apparently released from my mermaid trace. Triton poked his head out from under my hair.

"How do _you_ know about merfolk?" he asked shyly.

"How do you know about humans?" the boy replied.

"Daddy showed us them," Triton said calmly.

"Get out from there, you look stupid with blonde hair," Prince said, pulling Triton out. Triton thought hard, and then came up with the best comeback I'd ever heard him say.

"Yeah… well… yeah… well… so do you!" he stuck his tongue out at Prince. I put him arm around him and giggled. Why did it matter what we looked like to a human?

"I'm Prince, and this is my brother Triton, and sister Carmen," Prince said.

"My name is Willheim Grimsby. You can call me Will," the boy said gently.

"That's a funny name," I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Really, _Crustacia_?" Prince said, using my real name. I gasped.

"_Oceanus_!" I retorted. Prince glowered at me.

"Stop it," Triton pleaded.

"Fine… _Neptune_," I muttered under my breath. Triton wrinkled his nose. Daddy and Mama had decided to curse us all with terribly unfortunate names.

"And you live under the sea?" Will said breathlessly.

"You're a smart one, aren't you?" I said sarcastically. He pulled a face at me.

"Aren't mermaids supposed to sing and be nice?" Will asked.

"In theory, yes. Reality, not so much," Prince shrugged.

"I am nice _and _I sing!" I protested, "Mama says I'm a _beautiful _singer!"

"Prove it," Will challenged.

"Bring it," I said darkly, and composed myself,

"_Live your life to the full_

_With a lifetime of smiles_

_Made us know right from wrong_

_Always know when I'm lying_

_You made us be tough_

_But never too rough_

_Rise above what you said_

_Never easily lead_

_And one day, we'll all sing along_

_Because this is your song."_

I smiled smugly. He shrugged.

"You're okay," he agreed.

"Okay?" I shrieked, "I'm fantastic!"

"Hurricane a-comin'! Stand fast! Secure the riggin'! Boy, get to it!" a man yelled. We all looked to the horizon. A storm _was_ coming. I guess humans were not as stupid as we assumed. They knew what a storm was, after all.

"Aye, Captain!" Will yelled. He shrugged at us and ran off.

"That was very rude of him," I said as we swam away from the ship.

"We should go home. Mama will be worried," Triton said virtuously.

"I guess… where's Prince?" I exclaimed. We looked around ourselves worriedly.

"He's supposed to be watching us! Mama told him to! He promised Mama!" Triton wailed.

"Oh, get a grip, you guppy," I said, trying not to sound as scared as I felt. I pulled him up onto a rock, as we looked around for Prince.

"He's supposed to be watching us! He always watches us! He's meant to be! He's _meant_ to be!" Triton wailed again.

"Pull yourself together. He's obviously too engrossed in the humans," I pulled a face and hugged him tightly as he started to cry.

"But I'm his very own brother and you're his very own sister!" Triton sobbed. I stroked his hair and sighed, looking for Prince.

"Carmen! Carmen look out!" Triton yelled, pulling me backwards with all the strength in his tiny little body. I turned to see what he was pulling me away from. I only had time to see the looming figurehead of the mermaid before I knew what was happening. I saw Triton's big blue eyes filled with fright, felt his futile pull to drag me to safety. There was a crash and every inch of my body filled with pain.

He should have been watching us.

**A/N: The song Willheim sings is a deleted verse from **_**Fathoms Below**_**, a song from the first Little Mermaid. The song poor sweet Carmen sings is a verse **_**This is Your Song**_** by Ronan Keating. **


	11. The Castle at Night

**The Castle at Night**

(Triton POV)

I could not sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw golden-tailed mermaids and mermen swimming around humans. Perhaps it was just from being around my brother's grandson. The thought of that worried me a little. I had never imagined Prince growing up. After he had left, I had only ever imagined him exactly as I remembered him. The thought of Prince with grandchildren, or even just children, had never once occurred to me. I did not want him to change, I wanted to keep him the same as the few memories I still had of him. I did not like to think of him too much, it would always bring me pain. The first few moments I was fine. Then, my mind wandered back to Carmen, the accident… I could never think of that. I could not relive it. And on the rare occasions I had let myself think of him since he left, his descendants could not have been further from my mind.

I imagined him coming home.

I had been so naïve, to wish that it could possibly happen just the way I wanted it to. It would be my birthday. He would whistle from outside, and I would go out to see who it was. And he would be there, exactly as I remembered him.

"Prince?" I would gasp.

"Triton, I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone. I never meant to leave," he would say so honestly I had to believe him.

"I forgive you, Prince," I would tell him. He would hug me and everything would be better. Every birthday I would go to the kelp whenever I had the chance to peek out and see if he was there yet. Of course, he never was. And ever birthday, the older part of me would think _why bother? He would never want to come back. It is stupid. _But the younger part of me would protest inside _no! It would not be stupid. It would be almost home again. _

I had to give up those dreams when I got too old. I did give them up, didn't I? I had grown up so much since I was that little boy, lost and confused in an ocean far too wide. It was my ocean now. I had a kingdom, and daughters, and a life. A life he had missed. I had given up those dreams to move on. I wanted to believe that I did, but if I had then why it did hurt so much to know that Prince had made a life and would definitely never come back? It was not just that he had left for the humans. It was not just that it was his fault Carmen had been crushed between a rock and a ship. It was not even just that he had abandoned me. It was because we were brothers. And it had not mattered enough to stop him.


	12. Prince Eau, Mermaid Killer

**Prince Eau, Mermaid Killer**

(Prince POV)

I swam around the ship, examining it from every angle. It was so grand and beautiful, so much better than the ones that I found at the bottom of the ocean. What I wouldn't give to be running around on there, with the boy called Will, Willheim Grimsby.

I had talked to a real life human!

I laughed and splashed my tail about. This was wonderful! I closed my eyes with a happy smile on my face and lay back in the water.

Then there were screams…

Wood splitting apart…

Crashing…

Splashing…

Crying…

I opened my eyes and saw that the ship had smashed into a rock.

"No!" I screamed out helplessly as the humans fell to their deaths from the broken ship. I watched, my heart aching for them. Then I remembered Will.

"Will! Will!" I cried, swimming towards the ship, dodging the falling planks of wood and people. Where was he? I listened to the moans and shrieks, trying to pick out his voice.

"Will! Where are you?" I hollered, listening in vain for a reply. Hearing nothing, I dove under the water, looking around for him, swimming between the wreckage and people sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

I saw him.

He was caught underneath a chunk of the ship, passed out. I grabbed him around the waist and tugged him out, swimming up to the surface with him.

"Will! Will!" I shook him hard, helplessly. What happened to humans when they were in water? I had never seen one survive before… but Will had to!

"Come on, Will, hold on," I pleaded with him, struggling to swim with him over to the shore, "You got to hold on just a little longer, okay?"

Somehow, I managed to pull Will over onto the sandy shore, and pushed him up onto the beach. I had beached myself, but I had to try and help him somehow! I shook him hard, helplessly, hoping my theories about humans had been right all along. Suddenly, a strangled sort of cry came from Will's throat and he coughed up water. He blinked up at me, his eyes focusing.

"Prince?" he murmured, and coughed.

"Yes, it's me. Are you okay, Will?" I asked anxiously.

"I think so," he said up, his hand on his forehead, "what happened to the ship?"

"You hit a rock," I replied, "You scared me, Will! I thought for sure you were going to foam."

"Going to foam?" Will echoed, "What, like get rabies?"

"Rabies? What's rabies?" I asked, "I mean, go to Poseidon. Live in the eighth ocean. Pass away. Die. Doesn't that happen to humans?"

"Oh! Yes, humans die. Only, we don't go to foam, or Poseidon, or the eighth ocean," Will smiled.

"What happens when you die?" I asked curiously, "The sea witch says that humans have this thing, a soul that lives forever, even after you die."

"Sea witch?" Will exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Yes, the sea witch," I said matter-of-factly, "Do you have a soul then?"

"Yes, humans have souls that live forever," Will said, composing himself, "don't mermaids- I mean, mermen?"

"No, but we live longer," I shrugged, "and besides, we have spirits that are inside of us that go with Poseidon to make the foam and watch over us."

"Your spirit… that's kind of like a soul," Will hugged his knees to his chest thoughtfully, "Where are your brother and sister?"

"Oh! They must still be watching the ship. I'd better take them home before Mama loses her mind," I said, glancing at the setting sun.

"How are you going to get back into the water?" Will asked curiously.

"Ugh... I kind of didn't think this through," I said sheepishly. Will laughed.

"I'll carry you. It's the least I can do, since you saved my life and all," Will picked me up unsteadily and stumbled over to the ocean.

"Is here far enough?" he asked, when the water was waist-deep for him.

"Yes, thanks," I said and he let go of me.

"Thank you," Will replied, "It must be so much fun being a merman…"

"I'd rather be a human," I replied enviously.

"Do you want to meet me here tomorrow?" Will asked then hastily added, "It's okay if you don't want to, or are busy-"

"No! That'd be great!" I beamed at him.

"Great! I'll see you then, Prince," Will smiled widely.

"Good-bye," I waved, swimming back from him.

"Bye!" he replied, waving. With that, I dove under the ocean, swimming over to the rocks as fast as I could. But where were Carmen and Triton?

"You guys! Come on out, we have to go home!" I cried out into the silence.

Then I saw the blood.

A huge smear across the rock that made my sick to my stomach. The blood ran into the water, and I followed it mindlessly, praying that I was wrong about what had happened. The trail got darker and thicker, leaving me back to the cavern.

Carmen and Triton's blood.

I swam inside as fast as I could, eyes wide. The first thing I saw was Mama sobbing, the most heart-breaking sound I ever heard. Triton was beside her, pale and shivering as he cried silently, rocking himself back and forth. On the floor in front of them was a mess. Golden hair streaked with blood, tail twisted and torn, her little body broken.

My sister.

Carmen.

A sob escaped my throat as I realised what had happened. What I had done. Triton looked up and saw me. I could see it in his eyes.

Betrayal.

This should have never happened. I should have been there. It should have been me. Triton opened his mouth to speak, but I turned and fled the cavern.


	13. A President, a Princess, and Kitchen Boy

**A President, a Princess, and a Kitchen Boy**

(Tanner POV)

I yawned groggily, wrinkling my face and rubbing my eyes. I felt like I was under water.

Wait. 

I _was_ under water.

My eyes shot open, and I swam as quickly as I could upwards. I gasped for breath as I hit the top of a cavern roof, and I searched for some kind of opening. I breathed in the water, drowning, dying. Tears came to my eyes as I found a source of light, and swam as quickly as I could towards it. I struggled, almost like my legs were tied together. I fell out of the cavern entrance, and fell down a few feet, struggling to break my fall, grasping at the smooth rocky wall. I hit the ocean floor, and looked up at the ocean's surface. It seemed like it was miles away. I heard two unfamiliar voices behind me but I couldn't stop to look back. I swam upwards, trying to hold my breath and swim as fast as I could.

"Tanner! Tanner, wait!"

Strong arms wrapped around me, holding me down from swimming up to the surface. A female face appeared in from of me, stoking my cheeks, kissing my forehead.

"Tanner, shh, shh! It's alright, just breathe. Just breathe, Tanner!"

Sobbing, I struggled to breathe, kicking my bound-together legs against the man behind me. He held me tightly, too tightly for me to escape. Suddenly, the memories of last night came back to me.

I was a _merman_.

"That's right, darling. It's okay. Calm down."

One of King Triton daughters smiled at me warmly, stroking my hair lovingly.

"Poseidon, 'e eez uh fighter, 'e eez," a man's gruff voice with a thick accent muttered from behind me.

"He's just overwhelmed," the princess insisted, wiping the tears away from my eyes. Breathing heavily in water, I nervously glanced down at my tail. It was shimmery gold, like sunlight. I was a merman. I looked up at the princess wide-eyed, and then struggled against the man's arms around me.

"Let him go, Tashi," the young woman laughed. The man released me, ruffling my hair.

"Who are you?" I asked worriedly.

"I am Princess Attina, Ariel's sister. This is President Tasha Rai-de-My, visiting from the Arctic," Attina indicated to the man who had been holding me. I glanced up at the man in his late-twenties, with olive-coloured skin, intelligent grey-green eyes and long inky black silky hair. His tail was silver, like a sardine and he wore gold armour and a bemused expression on his face.

"Und who are you?" the President asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm a merman," I breathed, gingerly touching my gold tail.

"This is Tanner Lockhart. He's… visiting too," Attina shrugged, unable to say exactly who I was. Because who was I really? The King hadn't explained how he knew my father.

God, what about my family? I paused from my excitement to worry about them. Both my parents had died when I was a baby; I lived in the palace with Grandpa Louis, who told me such fantastic stories about mermen and mermaids and giant palaces under the sea. But he had waved me goodbye. I smothered all of my guilt, trying to forget abandoning my grandfather and take in the beautiful world I was in now. I had made it to the magical underwater world of my dreams. But I couldn't help but to worry about _why_ the King had turned me into a merman so quickly, without a moment's hesitation.

"Can I go see the King?" I asked Princess Attina hopefully. She shook her head.

"I'm afraid he's busy with government and inter-sea relations today, Tanner. Maybe another time," Princess Attina replied. I sighed with disappointment but nodded sadly. Prince Eric and Princess Ariel were often busy with work on the land. Ocean royalty couldn't be much different. Princess Attina ruffled my hair fondly with a small smile.

"President Rai-de-My, the King will see you now," a swordfish declared from the palace entrance. The President smoothed his hair and nodded.

"Uh pleazzzure azz uzzzual, Prinzzzess Attina. Und a pleazzzure to meet you, Tanner Lockhart," President Rai-de-My put his hands on Princess Attina's shoulders and kissed both her cheeks before placing both his hands on my shoulders and kissing my forehead.

"Pleased to meet you too, President Rai-de-My," I bowed a little, unsure of what the protocol was for farewelling Arctic Presidents. The President smiled a little and chuckled, before turning to the swordfish and disappearing into the palace to see the King.

"Come on you," Princess Attina wrapped her arm around my shoulder, "Let's go to breakfast."


	14. The Sea Witch's Potion

**A/N: A new chapter 9 has been added, and all the other chapters that follow it have been pushed forward. **

**The Sea Witch's Potion**

(Triton {Age 4} POV)

I lay curled up on my bed, eyes closed tightly, trying to be somewhere else. Mama's crying, the twins crying, and the awful, awful silence of Carmen as we waited for something, some kind of sign to tell us if she was staying with us or going to the Eighth Sea. All of the neighbours had come by bringing sea sponge swirls, sea cucumber sandwiches, coral blossom stew, and seaweed casserole and taking care of the twins and me. But Prince! He had come to the entrance of our little cave for a second or two, before swimming off in an instantly. I had to find Prince, had to ask him what to do, beg him for an answer. But where could he be? The only place I knew that he might have gone was the little cave with human things, but at least there was some kind of start.

"Mrs Glenning, can I go outside for a little swim?" I asked the elderly woman who was cradling one of the twins.

"Oh, of course, sweetheart," she nodded pityingly. I quickly turned and swam as fast as I could from the little cavern. Now, which way had the little grotto been?

"This turn, up this path," I muttered to myself, "That rock looked kind of familiar, doesn't it? Although, all rocks do look rather the same, especially this early in the morning, don't they? Oh, I don't know!"

I was just about to give up and go home in defeat, but I heard a funny noise.

_Neptune Triton… I call for you…_

_Neptune Triton, son of Poseidon, answer the crown's call…_

Almost as if in a dream, I swam towards the whispering voice, so odd yet so familiar, until I was distracted by the recognisable swish of a tail not too far away. I quickly swam through the seaweed, and sure enough, there was Prince!

"Prince! Prince!" I exclaimed, tumbling forward, tripping over my tail. Prince glanced up at me in horror, clutching a bag to his chest.

"Tri?" he gasped then his face turned cold and he hissed, "You shouldn't be here, Triton. Go home to Mama."

"No, Prince, I wanna go with you!" I pleaded.

"Go home, Triton," Prince said coldly, gripping the bag tightly to his chest.

"Prince, let me go with you," I begged, "Please, don't make me go back home along! I'm lost and I'm scared! Oh, please, don't let me come with you!"

"No, Triton. I'm not going with you," Prince snapped.

"But Prince-" I protested.

"Go _home_, Triton," Prince growled. I stared at him in surprise and he turned from me, still clutching the bag to his chest and swimming away as fast as he could. I frowned and biting my lip, I followed him, making sure that he couldn't see me. But where was he going? Nowhere that I had ever gone to before. Then, suddenly, I recognised the place.

He was going to the Sea Witch's Grotto.

Mama said we weren't allowed to go to the sea witch without her! She was so awfully tricky and could get people to do the most terrible things without them even realising. She was far too tricky for kids like us to try and figure out. What was Prince doing? I could see bubbling smoke coming from above the grotto, and swam up to it. Holding my breath, I dove in, and swam as hard as I could against the smoke and bubbles until I reached the end of the tunnel. Crouching below the smoky stream, I peered down into the grotto. The big bubbly pit of potions and collection of ingredients lining the wall, it was the most frightening place I had ever seen.

"Darlink, darlink, come on in, come in, my little one," the witch purred, ushering Prince into the room, "did you get it, my child?"

"Yes, ma'am," Prince replied politely. The fat old sea witch, with her ink black tail, glowing greenish-white skin and crazy white hair, was terrifying enough without her magic.

"Psst! Psst!" I heard a soft voice call from the ingredients wall, "lil' boy!"

I looked over to see a small red crab waving a claw at me hurriedly from one of the cages below me.

"Shh!" I hissed back, praying with all my might that the sea witch and Prince wouldn't hear me. They both seemed distracted with the golden crown, the most magnificent thing I had ever seen. I stared at it, almost hypnotised.

_Neptune Triton, son of Poseidon, finally I have found you_

_Do not forget where I lie, in this grotto, awaiting you and only you_

"So strange…" the Sea Witch murmured, "almost as if it is talking, I can _feel_ the energy coming from it."

"Are you going to make the potion now?" Prince pleaded, "Like you said you would? Remember?"

"Of course, my dear of course, I never go back on a promise," the Sea Witch promised offhandedly, "In a minute… it has been so long since I held Atlantica's crown."

"_Mon_, help me!" the little red crab pleaded.

"What? Why?" I looked down at him, confused.

"Dat sea witch gonna burn me up for a potion, _mon_!" the red crab explained tearfully, "you gotta help me, lil' boy, you gotta!"

"Now, now, let's see for my ingredients," the Sea Witch mused, "blood of the merman… tear of a kelpie… the broken heart of a red crab... let's see, what else?"

"Dat's me! Oh, Poseidon, send me an angel!" the little red crab wailed.

_You can break the lock with the blade on the shelf to your left_, the whispery soft voice advised. I glanced up, and sure enough, there was a blade. Something in the water made me strongly, a little braver. Maybe it was the crown, the way it almost reached a warm glowing arm out to me and hugged me tightly like Daddy used to do. I glanced at the sea witch and Prince worriedly for a second, before grabbing the blade and swimming down from my hiding place next to the little crab's cage. Luckily, this part of the grotto was in the shadows and the Sea Witch seemed so engrossed in the crown she didn't notice me on the other side of the cavern. I jammed the blade into the lock, twisting it as hard as I could until the lock broke off. The little red crab wasted no time swimming out of the cage and hiding in my hair. I darted back up to my hiding place and peered down at the Sea Witch assembling ingredients. She seemed perplexed by the missing red crab, but made do with something from a jar. The cauldron crackled and spit out smoke and lightning, surrounding Prince.

"_Paluga, sarruga, come winds of the Caspian Sea, _

_Transform this blue tail into legs, _

_Human he shall be!"_

There was another crackle of lightning and an explosion of smoke and the little red crab and I were blown from the grotto in an instant.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as I fell into a mess of seaweed. Untangling my limbs, I found the little red crab still gripping my hair tightly.

"You can let go now, you know. It's okay," I told him, though I wasn't sure of that at all. He let go of my hair though and jumped onto my lap.

"You saved me life, Red!" he exclaimed in his high-squeaky voice, "oh, _mon_! I thought I was a gonner, but you saved me!"

"Who are you?" I asked curiously.

"My name is Horatio Thelonious Ignacious Crustaceous Sebastian," he replied, dipping into a low bow, "what's your name, Red?"

"Triton. Neptune Triton Eau," I replied, trying to remember his long name, "… err… can I call you just Sebastian?"

"O' course, _mon_!" Sebastian exclaimed enthusiastically, "you saved me life! I am forever in your debt, forever but you humble servant, defendin' ya 'til me last breath, devoted entirely to you solely for every moment of me waking life that you granted me."

"Okay…" I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but he seemed friendly and nice enough.

"I can never thank ya enough, Red," Sebastian dipped into a low bow again.

"Do you want to be my friend?" I inquired. The little crab looked like his eyes were about to burst from his head with sheer joy.

"Friends? Poseidon bless ma soul! An honour! An honour to be friends with you, Red, such a brave lil' boy, noble defender of the small…" Sebastian's squeaky voice rose so high it hurt my ears, but I didn't care. I had never had a friend ever before in my whole four years of life, well, not a real friend. I had known other kids my age, but I never really had a true and proper friend. It almost took my mind off of Prince, and his sudden departure. He would have to come back soon, right? He couldn't stay away from home forever. Mama was probably waiting for me already at home anyways, she'd go out of her mind if both of us went missing.

"Come on, Sebastian," I smiled sadly, "let's go home."


	15. Mermaids and Men

**Mermaids and Men**

(Eric POV)

"I just cannot believe Daddy would do that! Tanner is just a little boy! He doesn't know what he wants!" Ariel snapped with her arms crossed across her chest and pouting.

"Yes, dear, it isn't fair," I agreed. It wasn't fair. It hadn't been fair for the last three hours. Ariel just wouldn't let it go.

"He has to have another reason for doing it. He can't just be turning boys into mermen left and right! It's ridiculous! You heard what he said, didn't you? When Tanner asked if he knew his Grandfather? 'A long time ago. At least, I thought I did'. He's up to something, I know it!" Ariel slammed her hand down onto the bed angrily.

"Yes, but we aren't going to figure it out tonight, are we?" I tried helplessly, "You see, dear-"

"What I wouldn't give to know what he's up to!" Ariel continued, as if I hadn't spoken, "It has to be bad. Daddy wouldn't be nice to a human."

"I know, dear," I muttered. Ariel glanced at me for a moment.

"He's up to something," Ariel repeated.

"Yes, I know. But it's late, and we have a meeting with the staff early tomorrow, so we should try to get some sleep, shouldn't we?" I pleaded.

"I can't sleep! It's driving me mad! And-" Ariel stopped mid-sentence and ran for the bathroom. I rose from bed, running my fingers through my hair. Greying hair, mind you. All of the merfolk around here were driving me mad.

"Eric!" Ariel called from the bathroom. I sighed and closed my eyes for a second.

"Coming, dear! Just fetching your robe!" I called back, picking up her robe from the foot of the bed. I would not be sleeping tonight. It has hard to be an ever-attentive, loving, loyal, supportive husband to my half-mad ex-mermaid wife sometimes.

When I awoke the next morning, Ariel was still fast asleep. I always awoke at least an hour before her, and started my day alone. She would get up later, when the palace was busy with life, and have breakfast with Melody in the dining room. Besides, Ariel had been so ill for so long, the only peace she got was when she was asleep. It was better not to wake her. I dressed, and made my way downstairs, as the palace staff began their daily duties. And as usual, I meet with Grimsby in the hallway outside of the South Wing, and we carried out our routine morning conversation, as we always did.

"Good morning, Grimsby."

"Good morning, your Highness. I trust you slept well."

"And you too, I hope. A busy day today?"

"Manageable, your Highness."

"How is my father?"

"There has been no change, sire. Will you requiring your usual breakfast?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"I shall go down to the kitchens to see Louis now for it."

I nodded. But as he went to pass me on the stairs, I stopped him.

"Wait… Grim, do you suppose the Lockhart boy's grandfather really knew King Triton?" I asked, "I mean, that's what King Triton said.

Grimsby shrugged, "You could ask Louis himself at breakfast. That's the Lockhart boy's grandfather, after all."

I nodded to myself, and we parted ways there, and I went on down into the South Wing to my father's bedroom, where the staff never ceased working. My father had fallen very ill when I was only seven. It was so very sudden, like a bolt of lightning, and he had never recovered. Some days were better than others, where he could talk in a soft hoarse voice and sometimes would get out of bed and sit in his armchair by the window. Most days, more and more nowadays, he was silent and bedridden, and couldn't even open his eyes. The night nurse was sitting by his bed, and smiled up at me sadly. It was always the same sad smile the nurses had around him, he wasn't bad enough to mourn but not well enough to truly smile.

"How is he?" I inquired, crossing the room to his bed.

"He seems stable, not much better or worse than usual. He woke up a few hours ago. I'll be in the next room if you need me," she said, curtsying before she left. I sat down in her chair, folding my arms and resting them on the bed so my face was level with his and his eyes stare into mine.

"Good morning, Papa. It's me, Eric," I said gently, examining his face. His eyes were open and staring at me, but they are unfocused and tired. I continue on,

"We had such a terrible commotion last night. Ariel's sisters arrived, and turned her back into a mermaid. Then the King arrived, and he took one of the kids that works here to be a mermen," I started to laugh, although I wasn't sure why, "you must think I'm crazy, don't you, Papa? Mermaids, magic tridents, all fairy-story stuff. If you could see it, you'd know. Grimsby said you used to be a sailor before you got married, right, Papa? Perhaps you did know. Perhaps you knew mermaids yourself. Did you ever see a mermaid, Papa?"

I paused for a moment. He didn't answer, but then, perhaps he couldn't. I could see the muscles in his neck and shoulders tensing up and relaxing. He must be listening, wanting to reply. It must kill him to not be able to answer. But how can I help but to ask him questions? I'll never be able to know him well enough to not need to ask anymore.

"Did you ever see a mermaid, Papa?" I ask him again, "I married one, do you remember? Her name is Ariel, remember? She came here to see you a couple of times. She thinks it's too sad to come and see you very often. After all, she doesn't know anyone like you. Her mother died when she was very, very young, and her father is… well, he looks terribly active. You should see him, Papa; he looks like he could wrestle a shark."

There was no reply, as usual, but by now that didn't faze me. There was a knock on the door and the smell of breakfast. Louis. Good. I could ask him about Tanner.

"Come in," I called, sitting up and running my fingers through my hair. But instead of faithful Louis, a kitchen boy brought in my breakfast, and set it down onto the table.

"Where is Louis?" I asked, surprised.

"The chef suddenly left to go out of town, sire," the boy replied, "He said he would be back as soon as possible, but something urgent came up."

I nodded, and dismissed the boy with a sigh. The room fell silent again, and I poked at my breakfast, not very hungry.

"Oh, Papa," I sighed, "that hardly seems like an odd coincidence. Louis is the Lockhart boy's grandfather. The one King Triton turned into a merman. I'd like to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. You'd know what to do, wouldn't you? Grimsby said you were the greatest King of your time."

Papa didn't reply, he just looked at me with unstaring eyes. What I wouldn't give to know what he knew. What I wouldn't give for one real conversation with the brave and intelligent father I had been born to but had never been gotten the chance to know.


	16. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

**Hello, my lovely readers! **

**First and foremost, I would like to thank you for reading and leaving me such encouraging reviews! This is the last post I will be doing for this story, unfortunately. **

**But do not fret, dear reader! The story has been divided into three separate stories now, which will be much less confusing and have much less storylines happening all at once!**

**The first story is called "The Trident Story". This story is most like the even numbered chapters in this story depicting Triton's early life and how he came to be King of Atlantica. This will also continue with Prince's on-land adventures (in more detail that would have appeared if I had of continued with this version), so it's a win-win for both brothers!**

**The second story is called "A Series of Beginnings". This story is about Ariel's older sisters and takes place right after the first Little Mermaid movie, when Ariel has first left, and shows them adjusting to growing up without their little sister. **

**I'll post up some information on the third story after it's been posted, but this one will be about Tanner and some mer-cousins having an underwater adventure. ****I hope you enjoy the new stories and aren't too frustrated with me for having such a difficult time writing this one! **

**I will be leaving this story up for referencing while writing the new versions. Of course, my darlings, feel free to PM me or leave reviews on either story if you have any questions, feedback, or want to comment on anything at all!**

**I remain, ever your own,**

_**Daughter of Romanov**_


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